


Hell Hath Fury

by LadyWallace



Series: Raising Hell [9]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arc Conclusion, BAMF Castiel, BAMF Dean Winchester, BAMF Sam Winchester, Dean Whump, Gen, King Of Hell Sam Winchester, Knight of Hell Dean Winchester, Raising Hell Verse, Sequel, captured dean, dark but good Winchesters, gen - Freeform, series fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28827081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyWallace/pseuds/LadyWallace
Summary: (Raising Hell Verse #5) After an assassination attempt against Sam ultimately fails, the Winchesters and their companions and courtiers decide it's time to go to war and stop Asmodeus once and for all.
Relationships: Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Sam Winchester & Dean Winchester & Castiel
Series: Raising Hell [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1479407
Comments: 20
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys, once again I apologize for the wait on this one. I did not intend for it to take me this long. But this is the conclusion to the Asmodeus arc so I hope it's worth the wait. If anyone is still interested in this series after this one, I might end up writing another arc eventually.
> 
> (If you haven't read the previous stories in this series, you probably want to do that before you read this one ^_^)
> 
> Previously In The Raising Hell Verse: After Asmodeus's attack on Hell doesn't go as he planned, he sends an assassin to Vegas where Team Free Will are celebrating Sam's birthday. The assassin kills Sam and he is thrown into the Empty. Dean and Cas go to the Empty to get him back and while there, Sam meets up with Crowley who shows him how to better use his powers. After bringing Sam's soul back to Hell, they decide to keep the fact that Sam is alive a secret to better surprise Asmodues and take him down for good...

A funeral in Hell. Dean was convinced that this was one of the stranger days he'd ever had.

And that was saying something.

The throne room had been lavishly decorated under Steward Wheatly's watchful eye. Solemn black drapes and red roses covered every wall and flat surface. The sheer amount of roses scented the air and made the atmosphere almost heady.

In the very center of the room was the coffin.

Sam's coffin.

Dean would say one thing; the King of Hell went out in style. He just wished Sammy were here to see this.

The casket was closed, but one could imagine Sam resting inside like some ancient king in repose, decked out in his best black suit, sword clutched between cold hands and his crown placed on his chest above the pommel—presumably the reason Dean was not wearing it now, even though he was technically king now that his brother was dead.

Instead, Dean wore all black, black dress-shirt and slacks with a long black overcoat instead of his typical duster. Cas was also dressed in solid black, though he wore a tie as well. Everyone was, even Wheatly and Winston who stood several steps behind Dean and Cas, their heads bent in respect. The only color in the room to break the monochrome tone was the splash of red from the roses, like blood.

Dean stared at the coffin for another long moment, and finally raised his head to gaze out at the surrounding demons, all that was left of their kingdom after Asmodeus's attack.

Like the rest of the room, his eyes were black.

"It's time to end this," he said in a low voice, but one pitched to reach the ears of everyone gathered, steely and determined.

He then turned around with a dramatic swish of coattails and strode out of the throne room.

Cas followed and so did Winston and Wheatly after they gave some instruction to the gathered demons.

The walk through the hallways was silent. Dean didn't bother speaking until they were safely away and the door was closed.

"Well?" he asked as soon as they had made it back into the living suite where Sam, Dean and Cas lived when they were in Hell. "You think they bought it?"

"I believe we put on a very convincing charade, my lord," Wheatly assured him.

"Good," Dean said as he shrugged out of his coat and went to his room to change into normal jeans and flannel. "Because I never want to go to my brother's funeral again."

"If all goes to plan, that will hopefully be a much less likely outcome in the future," Wheatly replied.

Cas sighed a little long-sufferingly. "As much as I would like to think that, I'm sure that won't be the case."

Wheatly gave a small smirk and Dean glowered at him before he went to change clothes, shutting the door behind him.

Step one seemed to have worked out, but it wasn't really their demons he needed to convince. It was Asmodeus.

And at this point, their entire plan hinged on Sam strengthening his abilities to a point where he could match Asmodeus in battle, because without him as their trump card, they were screwed all over again.

All Dean knew was that they needed to make a move soon, otherwise Asmodeus might decide that he would make his. And then…well, they were back to the being screwed option.

Dean threw on his flannel and jeans and grabbed his katana, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Ready?" he asked Cas.

The angel nodded.

"We'll be back before too long," Dean promised Wheatly. "If anyone asks, just tell the demons I'm in mourning or whatever."

The demon steward nodded and Dean left the suite, taking off down the hallways.

A beat later, Wheatly ran after him into the hall. "My lord! We need to talk about the crown! You'll have to be coronated soon!"

Dean spun around, jabbing a finger at the demon. "That crown is not going on my head until my brother rests in peace and Asmodeus is dead!" Dean shot back before he and Cas hurried toward the hell gate.

"Too much?" Dean murmured to the angel.

"Maybe a little," Cas said, then cocked his head to one side. "Although…"

"Alright, shut up," Dean grunted as they exited Hell and headed toward the Impala. Dean grabbed the keys from his pocket and slid in behind the wheel, setting his sword in the backseat.

"Let's go see how Sammy's doing on his training," Dean said.

Cas nodded and Dean started the car and drove off.

_~~~~~~~_

_Sam squinted at the target_ , focusing his aim, and raised his hand. The sandbag at the end of the range exploded with a satisfying puff of dust. Sam moved to the next stall and focused his attention on a spear he'd left there, manipulating it into the air to hover for a second, before he used his powers to shoot it forward.

It sank into the second sandbag with a satisfying _chunk._

Sam sighed, stretching his fingers. He knew the finesse, learning to channel his powers to maximum capacity, was important, but if he was being honest, he was getting a little tired of the constant training.

Ever since his attempted assassination at the hands of Asmodeus—actually, scratch that, his _successful_ assassination at the hands of Asmodeus's hitman—Sam had started training to take the Prince of Hell down for good. His training had started when he'd been dead, trapped in the Empty where he'd miraculously met up with Crowley again. The demon had showed him how to truly unlock his powers and once the previous King of Hell had shown him just how it was done, Sam had set out to learn as much as he could. It took a little bit of time to adjust to the difference in using his powers in the Empty versus on earth, but soon enough he had gotten up to the level he had with Crowley.

Winston and Wheatly had taken turns stopping by to help him train, as well as, to his surprise, Rowena. She'd actually helped push him to levels he didn't think he could have reached otherwise, and though she wasn't personally familiar with demonic powers, she had taught him a lot of channeling magic and power in general that had really helped him take a more focused approach instead of his previous slapdash bar brawl equivalent fighting style.

Still, it was exhausting, especially since he had to be cooped up in the bunker while Dean and Cas took care of things in Hell, and made plans to go after Asmodeus. Sam just wanted all of this to be over so everything could go back to the way it was. He never thought he would catch himself saying he missed Hell, but he had gotten pretty used to ruling the demons, and missed the days when all he had to deal with were different political opinions and the drama surrounding souls and crossroads deals.

He reached for another spear, when he heard the door to the range open and glanced over, seeing Dean and Cas walk through the door.

"Hey," he called to them with a small smile. "How was my funeral?"

"It was beautiful," Dean told him. "I cried, Cas cried. Wheatly hired professional mourners to send you off."

"He did not," Cas cut in blandly.

"Wish you could have been there," Dean finished.

"You think the demons bought it?" Sam asked.

"Hook, line and sinker," Dean promised. "But we need to act fast now. As soon as Asmodeus gets the confirmation of your death, you can be sure he's going to take advantage of the vacancy as if I mean nothing and he can just assume Hell is his for the taking."

"And that didn't exactly go well for us last time," Cas said.

Sam nodded in agreement. Even though they would be ready for it this time, he didn't like their chances fighting Asmodeus in Hell again. They were pretty confident that they'd weeded out most of the potential turn-coats, but the fact was that demons would always be demons and though Sam wished he could trust every one of his subjects like he did Wheatly and Winston, that just wasn't a reality they could depend on—just like with every ruler in history. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

That was why they had decided to take the fight directly to Asmodeus and cut out the variables.

"How's the training going?" Dean asked him seriously.

Sam nodded slowly. "I'd say it's going well." He grabbed the spear he had been going for and launched it directly at the sandbag with nothing but a flick of his fingers and his demonic powers.

Dean nodded, impressed. "But is it enough; that's the real question."

"And the real answer is that we won't know," Cas stated. "But Sam was almost strong enough to hold Asmodeus off before, even if for a second. His abilities have doubled, maybe even tripled since Crowley's training. I think he has a good chance."

"Well, I need to," Sam said. "Because it's kind of all we've got."

"That's not entirely true," Dean said with a small smile. "We have each other, like always, and we'll take Asmodeus down together too."

Sam smiled back. "I thought you hated chick-flick moments, big brother."

"Hey, I just went to your funeral," Dean said jokingly, but there was a deep weariness behind his eyes that Sam felt in his soul as well. He heard what Dean wasn't saying: _"Don't make it your real funeral next time"._ Sam gave him a small nod. He wasn't planning to. They'd already gotten way too close to that.

"So, when's the next step?" Sam asked as they left the shooting range and went up to the kitchen where Dean grabbed a beer out of the fridge.

"When do I call Asmodeus out?" Dean asked, popping the top of the bottle and taking a long drink. "As soon as we find out exactly where he is."

"And we're getting closer," Cas added. "Our prisoners have been more… chatty lately."

Sam huffed a humorless laugh. "I'll bet." He watched Dean for a long moment, before swallowing hard. "Dean…are we sure this is a good idea?"

Dean frowned at him. "Of course it's not a good idea, Sammy. We don't have the luxury of having good ideas. Ever. We can only at best have ideas that we hope will work out in the long run."

Yeah, and wasn't that the truth? "I get we have no choice, but maybe we should do this another way. Give him a surprise attack. With him thinking that I'm dead, and our demon army, I think that we might have a better chance."

"No," Dean said quickly, shaking his head. "Asmodeus probably has safeguards for attacks that we could never find out about. He's not going to be caught off guard. He's expecting us to be mad, he's expecting me to rush in without thinking because you're dead. He's betting everything on that, that's why he targeted you instead of me in the first place. Because he knows you're the only one who has the chance to defeat him without a lot of manpower." Dean set his beer down and leaned back against the counter, folding his arms across his chest. "What he's not expecting, is me going in there alone and that's where we're going to get him."

Sam nodded, knowing he was right, they had talked about it, after all, but he would be lying if he said he was at all comfortable with the plan.

"I'm just worried," Sam said. "These kinds of plans just have a way of going wrong."

"That's the point, little brother," Dean said with a devil-may-care grin. "This time it's purposefully going to go wrong."

Cas grunted. "I understand your concerns, Sam, but I actually do agree with Dean on this one. After going over every varied possibility, I do believe that this is the best way to take down Asmodeus without him becoming too suspicious for us to make a surprise attack at the right moment."

"And even if something does go wrong, he still thinks you're dead," Dean told Sam. "And that means we still have an ace up our sleeve. That's you."

Sam pressed his lips into a thin line. "So why don't you just call him out, why bother going to where he is?"

Dean tapped the side of his head. "The psychological game, Sammy. If we show him we can find him, it will be that much more intimidating. And show that I'm that much more desperate when I show up all alone."

"I still don't like it," Sam said. "I wish I could go with you. Or at least Cas."

"That would ruin the whole plan, Sam," Dean said and sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Look, it's the only way to guarantee a win, or at least give us the highest chance of getting one."

"I know," Sam said. "But you'll forgive me if I'm worried."

"Well, I'm not," Dean said firmly, picking up his beer again. "After all, I have my little brother to watch my back and come to my rescue." He pushed away from the counter and went to rest his hand on Sam's shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "I believe in you, Sammy. I know we can do this. And once we take down Asmodeus, we might finally be able to get everything back to normal. Or, well, our new normal—which, I personally don't think is so bad."

Sam took a deep breath and finally offered a small smile. "Yeah. I'd like that."

Cas' phone rang and the angel reached into his coat pocket and pulled it out. "It's Wheatly," he said as he answered it. "Hello?"

He listened for a while and then nodded. "Thanks." He ended the call and turned to the Winchesters. "They found him. We know where Asmodeus is now."

Sam's stomach knotted suddenly. This was really happening, and as much as he wanted this to be over with, he still wasn't one hundred percent sure about this plan. Mostly because he still wasn't one hundred percent sure about his own abilities.

"We should head back then, I guess," Dean told Cas.

"Hey," Sam said, calling him back. Dean turned expectantly as Sam bit his lip then stepped forward and yanked Dean into a hug.

Dean huffed a laugh, pressing his hand between Sam's shoulder blades. "What's this for?"

"I'm not gonna see you again until the attack on Asmodeus, if your brilliant idea goes to plan," Sam told him, squeezing him tighter before he pulled away slightly to look Dean in the eye. "Just don't die. I don't want to have to go to your funeral either. Real other otherwise."

Dean's smile softened and he reached up to grip the back of Sam's neck. "I got this, Sammy. _We_ got this."

Sam nodded and Dean released him and stepped back.

"Wheatly and I will be back to pick you up as soon as it's time," Cas told Sam.

The younger Winchester nodded and watched as his brothers retreated up the stairs of the bunker, leaving him alone once again.

Sam sank into a chair at the map table and picked up a pencil telepathically, holding it in the air, levitating for a few seconds, before he squeezed his fist and it powdered into dust.

He really hoped it would be that easy to take out Asmodeus.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean and Cas returned to Hell and strode into the council room, Dean not even bothering to dress in his black clothes again. Wheatly and Winston and a couple of the other council members were there as well as two of Winston's scouts.

"You found him?" Dean demanded sharply as he strode in.

Winston nodded and motioned to the scout. "Felix, tell Master Winchester where you found Asmodeus."

"He's in Lawrence," the scout said.

Dean started at that, genuinely surprised. "What? Why the hell is he there?"

"Well, after an investigation, I found out that he's apparently looking for one of Lucifer's crypts that's supposed to be there," Felix said.

Dean huffed a breath. "I am friggin' sick of hearing about Lucifer's damn crypts. How long has he been there?"

"Only about a day, and his investigation is still ongoing. I came back as quickly as I found out."

"Then I need to leave now," Dean said.

"My lord," Wheatly intoned for the benefit of the council members not in on the plan. "Surely you don't mean to go alone."

"Damn straight I do," Dean told him.

"But it was only just my Lord Sam's funeral…"

"And Asmodeus needs to pay," Dean growled and jabbed his finger at the short demon. "Don't try to stop me."

He strode out of the council room and back to their suite, Cas following along with Wheatly and Winston shortly after.

Juliet's ears perked up as Dean came in and she stood from where she had been resting on the couch, but she whined when she saw Sam obviously wasn't with him.

"Just a little longer, girl," he muttered to her as he went to change into his black clothing again.

"Is everything set here?" Dean asked the two demons as he grabbed a duffle bag and started throwing everything he thought he might need into it.

"It's as set as it will ever be," Wheatly told him. "You're the one who's going to have to be careful. We'll follow behind shortly, but not shortly enough to raise suspicion from Asmodeus's men. You'll have to figure out how to stall him long enough for us to get there."

"Yeah, I know," Dean said, and yeah, he was scared. Anything about this plan could go wrong in a second but he wasn't going to allow himself to think of that right now. He had to believe this would work, because their whole plan relied on him not calling his own bluff.

Which meant that he was going to have to sell this.

He shrugged into his leather duster and grabbed his katana, slinging his duffle over one shoulder. "Well, this is it…see you on the other side."

"Dean, are you sure you don't want me to wait nearby? Just in case something goes wrong?" Cas asked him. "Chances are, he'll take you to wherever he's set himself up."

"We've got scouts for that," Dean said and reached out to grip Cas' shoulder, squeezing briefly. "I'll be fine. Just look after Sammy."

Cas gave him a reluctant look but nodded, and Dean turned to Wheatly and Winston with a sharp nod of farewell. He bent to scratch Juliet behind the ears, then hurried out of Hell.

He hit the road in Baby, thinking of only one thing.

Ending their fight with the Prince of Hell once and for all.

_~~~~~~~_

_Dean drove through to Lawrence_ , Kansas, a slight lump in his throat as there always was when he thought about the place.

It seemed like ages ago now that he and Sam had gone back there. So many things had happened since then. Their lives had changed entirely. They'd barely known anything about fighting demons, and now they were ruling Hell.

Dean didn't know why he was feeling so sentimental all of a sudden. Maybe it was just because he was seeing an end in sight and it felt surreal that it was going to happen here.

A slight shiver of trepidation slid down his spine. What if Asmodeus had planned on this? What if he had his own plans to take them out? What if he had gone here, expecting Dean to show up?

Well, either way, there should be no reason Dean's plan couldn't also work. Asmodeus was too confident, but he didn't hold all the cards and he would be finding that out soon enough.

When Dean finally made it to the Lawrence city limits, he stopped at a diner and called Wheatly.

"My lord," the demon answered him with.

"Yeah, I'm here. Have your guys found anything on where Asmodeus might be within Lawrence?"

Wheatly sighed. "They haven't been able to find anything. They spotted one demon roaming around the city, but other than that, nothing of interest to report. We're not even sure he's in the city anymore."

"Are you serious?" Dean demanded. "Then where the hell would he be?" But even as he posed the question an idea popped into his head and he felt in his gut that it was correct.

"Actually, I think I might know."

"Well, we're on our way now, but call if anything changes, my lord," Wheatly said.

Dean hung up, and started the Impala again, heading west outside the town limits.

He felt sick even looking at the place as he pulled up. As little as he wanted to return home, he wanted to go back to _this_ place even less.

And yet, something deep inside him made him feel sure that this is where he would find Asmodeus.

The sign for Stull Cemetery looked exactly the same as it had the last time Dean had rolled up in the Impala blaring Def Leppard and genuinely ready and expecting to die.

This time, he drove silently. There were no archangels facing off, Lucifer wasn't wearing his brother, and Dean really didn't plan on dying that day.

But the graveyard was not entirely empty. Asmodeus was there, standing beside one of the mausoleums in his white suit, hands in his pockets, as if he had been waiting for him, expecting him, even.

Dean stopped the car, swallowed down the trepidation, and reached for his sword lying across the seat beside him, taking it out of the sheath.

He got out of the car and stepped forward.

An ill wind gusted by and picked up his long coat, the leather snapping ominously as the dim light of the cloudy afternoon glinting off the runes carved into his blade.

"Dean Winchester," Asmodeus said. "I had a feeling you'd show up."

"Asmodeus," Dean replied as he strode forward until he was only about three yards away from the Prince of Hell.

"And what brings you here today?" Asmodeus asked calmly.

Dean allowed his lip to curl. His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. "You killed my brother, you bastard."

Asmodeus arched an eyebrow, a smile of satisfaction made his lips twitch. "Yes, I did. How was the funeral? I'm sorry I wasn't able to make it."

Dean seethed, not really having to fake it with how much he hated Asmodeus and his smug attitude.

"So, let me guess; you've come to kill me," Asmodeus said. "And you really think you can do that now when you couldn't before? You know my powers will still work on you. And it doesn't look like you have any more of that Shedim venom of yours. Do you really want to end up in the pit again so badly?"

"I thought I'd come find you before you had the idea to take over my kingdom again," Dean told him, ignoring the taunts. "And because I don't want anyone else to interfere. I want to be the one to kill you myself."

He didn't give Asmodeus any warning, simply raised his blade and lunged forward.

_~~~~~~~_

_Sam paced as he waited_ for Cas and the others to come and pick him up. He knew Dean had already left, and while he understood that they couldn't follow him directly, Sam still hated the thought of Dean going to meet Asmodeus alone without any backup aside from a couple of Winston's spies in the vicinity. His only consolation was that Asmodeus would undoubtedly keep Dean alive for the sake of making him watch as he took over Hell again and killed all their loyal followers. Sometimes, it paid off to have enemies with a sadistic streak.

The door to the bunker opened and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sam?" Cas called.

"I'm ready," Sam told them, grabbing his bag and heading toward the stairs.

Wheatly and Cas met him and stopped him at the top of the stairs.

"If you please, my lord. Just as a precaution," Wheatly told him and handed Sam a ridiculous hooded cloak.

"Really?" Sam asked blandly. "Isn't this a little too Emperor Palpatine? This will make me look even more suspicious."

"It's all we could find in Hell," Cas explained with a sigh. "Who knew the demons had as much flair for the dramatic as Dean."

"And you really can't risk being seen by anyone before this is over," Wheatly said. "It's really just a practicality."

Sam huffed and snatched the overbearing cloak from Wheatly, tugging it on and putting the hood low over his head to hide his face. He felt more like he was going to Comic Con than to defeat his enemy, but he supposed Wheatly had a point.

"Let's go," he said and headed out the door.

He was guided into the back of a black van without windows and as he climbed in, he heard a happy bark.

"Juliet!" Sam cried and threw his arms around the hellhound as he sat down.

Juliet licked his face with a happy whimper, huffing hot sulfuric breath into his face.

"She refused to stay back in Hell," Winston explained. "We thought you needed your faithful hound, my lord."

Sam smiled, actually feeling better for seeing Juliet again.

"I need everyone I can get," Sam said, glancing between their small band and nodding. "Now let's go save my idiot brother and take Asmodeus down for good."

_~~~~~~~_

_Asmodeus didn't allow_ Dean's blow to hit him, obviously, simply stepped to one side and ducked as Dean whipped the sword back around a second time. When the Prince of Hell dodged yet again, Dean swung away and stood, sword ready, lip curling.

"What do you really expect to accomplish here?" Asmodeus asked, raising his hands. "This is a foolish endeavor."

"I don't care," Dean growled. "I don't know where you've been, but a lot of nasty things over the years—some worse than you—have learned their lesson the hard way that if you hurt my family, you die. End of story."

Asmodeus smirked. "And you think you'll be the one to kill me here and now, when your entire army couldn't take me down before?"

"You hadn't killed Sam then," Dean said darkly. "I don't care anymore if I live or die."

He lunched forward and performed an intricate maneuver, which ended in the blade driving toward Asmodeus's neck.

The Prince of Hell dodged at the last moment but the blade still caught him across the shoulder. Blood seeped through the white suit and Dean growled in satisfaction, lunging forward again to deal another blow while the demon was preoccupied.

But Asmodeus brought a hand up and Dean felt his power pushing down on him, slowing his movements. Asmodeus grabbed his wrist and flung him with demonic strength through the air before he slammed against a gravestone.

Dean gasped, his shoulder thankfully taking the brunt of the blow because otherwise, he probably would have broken several ribs. Still, the pain dazed him briefly and before he could roll to his feet, Asmodeus strode over to him, several figures appearing out of the mausoleum behind him.

"Did you really think I would be so stupid as to come here alone? No. I knew you would show up and try to attack me in this foolish fashion. Of course I came prepared."

Dean groaned and pushed himself up onto his feet, holding his sword at the ready, his left shoulder throbbing as he watched the other demons begin to circle him.

He growled and ran at them. "Fight me, you coward!" he screamed at Asmodeus.

But the Prince of Hell just motioned to the demons who rushed Dean. He slashed and hacked at them, taking several out, but there were too many.

Dean allowed himself to be born to his knees under a barrage from the demons, one slamming a baseball bat into his bruised ribs, two holding his arms tightly so he couldn't use his sword.

Asmodeus finally strode over to him, gloating, as he leaned over and gripped Dean's wrist, twisting it until he was forced to release the blade. He grabbed a fistful of Dean's hair and hauled his head up to look at him.

"See? You're still just as weak as all humans. And I'm not even going to bother killing you now. Not yet. No. I want you to see me take over your kingdom before you die. Watch me flay the skin off of your angel and those insufferable loyalists of yours. And only then, when you watch your kingdom fall into flames, my first deed as the new King with be to have you killed in front of the rest of the demons so they know what will happen to them if they ever get it into their heads to defy me."

Dean snarled. "If you think I'm going to let you do that without a fight, you don't know anything about me."

Asmodeus smirked. "Well. That remains to be seen, doesn't it?" He stepped back, picking up Dean's sword and nodding to the demons. "Take him."

Dean was hauled to his feet and dragged out of the graveyard, toward a van that he was thrown into, hard, the demons forcing him onto his face and binding his wrists and ankles so he couldn't move.

_Okay Sammy,_ Dean thought as he felt the van start moving. _It's on you now._


	3. Chapter 3

When the van stopped, Dean was dragged out of the back and practically carried into what looked to be an old school or something—Dean wasn't sure about the area and really, it didn't matter.

He saw more demons lining the hallways as he was dragged down them and they sneered at his pointless struggling.

Asmodeus led them into a large room that had obviously been converted into some sort of throne room, complete with fancy chair that sat at one end. Dean almost snorted. This guy really wasn't planning on giving up on his aspirations very easily. Even in this temporary base he'd given himself all the comforts of home.

More demons were milling around the room and they bowed when the Prince of Hell entered.

"Gather round," Asmodeus said, gesturing toward his followers as he strode toward his makeshift throne. "The last remaining ruler of Hell is now in my grasp."

The demons cheered and shouted abuse at Dean as Asmodeus sat in his chair, still holding onto Dean's katana, and positioning it almost like a scepter or walking stick. The demons who restrained Dean dragged him forward and forced him to his knees.

"Bow to your new king, filth," one spat.

Dean glowered up at Asmodeus. "You're not the king yet," he reminded him.

"I may as well be, because you certainly won't be getting out of here, and soon enough you'll witness the fall of your loyal subjects." The Prince of Hell stretched out one white shoe. "Maybe, if you kiss my feet, I'll be willing to show you a little lenience."

Dean twisted his lip in disgust. "I think I'll pass, you southern-fried douchebag."

Asmodeus kicked him under the chin instead and Dean toppled onto his side with a grunt. One of the demons took this opportunity to attach a chain to his manacles and handed it to Asmodeus who used it to haul Dean close to his chair. Dean resisted, but a sharp tug left his falling against the chair, smashing his already injured shoulder into it with a grunt. The Prince of Hell offered a wicked smirk and reached down to ruffle Dean's hair mockingly.

"There's a good dog," he said.

Dean glowered at him. "I'll still kill you," he promised.

Asmodeus chuckled darkly. "I'd like to see you try." He turned back to the gathered demons. "Tomorrow, we invade Hell again, and this time, there will be no one to stop us. This time, I will take the throne."

_~~~~~~~_

_Sam was tense as he rode_ in the back of the van with only Cas, Wheatly and Juliet.

"Are you sure we have enough men?" he asked.

"There are also Winston's scouts who will be joining us," Wheatly said. "But…this isn't really about the amount of men. It's about surprise and power."

"We have taken on bigger forces before," Cas said, glancing at Lucifer's spear that he had held, ready, across his lap for the entire trip.

"I know," Sam said quietly. And he _did_ know that they could take Asmodeus and his men. Was confident it his newly strengthened powers. He supposed he was just a little worried that something was going to go wrong, seeing as they didn't exactly have a great track record on plans going to plan.

"How much farther?" he asked.

Wheatly opened the sliding panel between the back and the van cab, and called to Winston. "How much farther?"

"We're just reaching Lebanon now," Winston told him.

Cas reached into his coat and pulled out the small charm Rowena had given them. "That means we should be able to start using this."

Sam let out a deep breath, trying to keep himself composed. Juliet settled her head on his thigh and he scratched behind her ears. He really hoped Dean was all right.

"Sam," Cas called and Sam glanced up to see the charm he was holding begin to glow. "It's working."

"We're close," Wheatly said, taking the charm and handing it through the opening to Winston. "Here, this will take you the rest of the way."

Sam breathed a small sigh of relief and Juliet barked. Cas gave him a determined look.

"We're going to do this, Sam. We're going to stop him," the angel said, a promise.

Sam nodded back. "Yeah. Yeah we are."

_~~~~~~~~_

_Dean's body ached both_ from the beating and from the awkward angle sitting beside Asmodeus' throne with the Prince of Hell yanking on the chain around his bound hand whenever Dean started to look too bored.

Dean was wondering when the hell the others were going to get here.

"I've been thinking about how I'll kill you, Dean," Asmodeus said. "It will have to be something of a spectacle to make sure everyone gets the hint not to try to sneak into Hell's ruling lineage again." He appeared to muse on it. "There's always drawing and quartering, I suppose, but it has been a long while since I've seen anyone use the blood eagle. Always a personal favorite of mine."

Dean was silent, having nothing to input to the conversation.

"But your loyalists as well will have to be made a spectacle of as well," Asmodeus continued. "Perhaps I will hang, draw and quarter them. A fitting execution method for traitors."

Dean felt a prick on his shoulder and he sat up a little straighter.

Something shifted in the atmosphere and all of a sudden there were the distant sounds of disruption coming from further in the hideout. Asmodeus went from his musing chatter to looking around, confused. He stood up.

"What the hell is going on out there?" he demanded and snapped his fingers at two of his guards. "Go investigate!"

Dean chuckled under his breath, unable to help himself, and Asmodeus whipped back around, grabbing Dean by the hair and slamming his face into the side of the chair before yanking him further onto his knees, forcing him to look up at the demon.

"What's so funny, Winchester?"

Dean felt the itch on his shoulder increase and Asmodeus glanced down at the spot, eyes narrowing. He released his hold on Dean's hair and reached down to yank his coat aside and pulled his shirt down his shoulder, revealing the mark Wheatly had put on Dean before he left, courtesy of Rowena.

"What is this?" Asmodeus demanded.

Dean chuckled again, spitting a gob of blood onto the floor, right next to Asmodeus's white shoe. "That's a tracking spell and it just activated. So, it looks like the person holding the rune is getting close."

The sounds of struggle could be heard with more distinction now, the screams of Asmodeus's demons echoing through the walls.

"Surprise, bitch," Dean spat.

Asmodeus snarled and kicked Dean in the face before spinning around and jabbing a finger at the rest of his guards. "Barricade that door! Do it now!"

"You're too late," Dean groaned, rolling onto his side so he could see Asmodeus's furious face. "He's here."

"What do you mean, 'he'?!" Asmodeus demanded, raising a foot to kick Dean in the ribs.

But before he could the door was literally blown to pieces, scattering the demons who had been trying to barricade it. Two other demons lay bleeding and broken on the ground, having obviously been used as the battering ram.

"Dean!"

Cas and Wheatly barreled through the opening, taking out two of the demons who had tried to get up and stop them.

Asmodeus hurriedly grabbed Dean and the Winchester's own katana, holding the hunter in front of him, and pressing the sword against his neck.

"I would stop right there, if I were you," the Prince of Hell said. "Unless you want to see your precious leader die."

Cas, Wheatly, and Winston stood there in the doorway, seeming oddly impassive. It was obviously freaking Asmodeus out because he pressed harder with the blade against Dean's throat and Dean grunted as he felt a trickle of blood run down his neck.

"Put your weapons down!" Asmodeus snapped.

Several more guttural screams came from outside the room before there was the sound of terrified footsteps.

"My lord!" a demon screamed, running into the room. "My lord, it's-!"

A dark shape flew out of the hallway with a growl and latched onto his throat, halting his words, the demon gurgled as he was born to the ground by the vengeful hellhound and then there was silence.

Steady footsteps sounded in the hallway and Dean watched as a cloaked figure appeared in the door.

Asmodeus snarled. "No…"

The figure reached up and ripped the cloak off, revealing Sam.

"Yeah," was all he said.

"Sorry," Dean told Asmodeus, grinning. "Guess death didn't really stick."

"No! It can't be!" Asmodeus shouted, furious. "This is a trick! How—?"

Sam raised his hand again and a concentrated force slammed into Asmodeus, sending him away from Dean, skidding across the ground, Dean's sword clattering from his grip.

Cas was already rushing forward, breaking the manacles around Dean's wrists.

"Took you guys long enough," Dean grunted.

"Glad to see you in one piece," the angel replied.

Dean shrugged and Sam picked his sword up for him, tossing it to Dean who caught it easily with a flourish.

Asmodeus was crawling to his feet, fury and disbelief on his face.

"You—you can't be alive! I killed you!" he snarled.

"Yeah, you did, actually," Sam said as Juliet reappeared at his side, growling low and menacingly. "But I came back."

"How?!" Asmodeus demanded.

"I know some people," Sam grinned. But you…I don't think you're going to be as lucky."

Asmodeus looked between all of them and finally bared his teeth. "Men, to me!" he screamed at the other demons who looked too scared to join the fight.

But they still rushed in when Asmodeus demanded it, and when they did, they were taken out easily enough by the group.

Asmodeus snarled and lurched forward to the aid of his demons, lashing out with his powers.

He slammed into Winston, and the demon took a blow to the side with an angel blade that one of the other demons was wielding. He cried out and Asmodeus snatched his spear away from him, slamming the butt into his face before he went after Dean with it.

Dean barely dodged, catching the spear on his sword as Cas rushed to Winston's aid, killing the demon about to take him out.

Sam was using his powers on some of the other demons, clenching his fist as they crumpled to the ground, barely able to scream.

Asmodeus snarled and raised his hand to strike Sam with his own powers, but Sam turned around and was somehow able to block Asmodeus's ability with his own. His eyes went wide as he realized what he was doing.

"Damn Sammy," Dean breathed as he ran another demon through.

Asmodeus gritted his teeth. "How…the hell did you get…so strong?" he demanded.

"Dying will do that to you," Sam said, a little breathless.

Another demon ran toward him at that moment and his concentration was broken, allowing his power to go awry and Asmodeus's to slam into his chest, sending Sam crashing back into the Prince of Hell's makeshift throne.

"Sammy!" Dean yelled, beheading another demon before he spun around to Asmodeus, only to have the demon slam him backwards with another blast of power.

"Not as strong as I thought, perhaps," Asmodeus said as he strode toward Sam who was crawling onto his feet again. He reached down and grabbed Sam around the throat, lifting him up with a gasp. "Still just a pitiful whelp that wants to play at being king."

"Sam!" Cas shouted, rushing forward, hefting Lucifer's lance.

Two demons intercepted him and Cas received a deep blow to the side before he could block. He gasped and slammed the butt of the lance into one of the demons, before stabbing the other.

Wheatly was covering Winston, both of them wounded, and Dean scrambled to his feet just as Asmodeus let out a dark chuckle and threw Sam against the wall, keeping him there, feet off the ground, chest constricted, gasping for breath.

"We've been here before, haven't we?" Asmodeus said. "And I don't think you have any Shedim venom this time."

Dean rushed toward him but more demons came to attack and he was forced to slice them up. Cas was in a similar position, suddenly unable to gain any ground.

_Come on, Sam_ , Dean muttered to himself.

Sam struggled while Asmodeus gloated. "I'm actually glad I will have the chance to kill you with my own hands. And in front of your brother and most loyal followers as well. Perhaps this little snafu was a blessing in disguise."

He raised his hand and Sam was pressed even more against the wall, groaning.

But his own hand started to rise.

Asmodeus didn't realize it at first, until he was stopped in his tracks and looked down, seeing Sam's hand up, palm out.

"H-how?" Asmodeus demanded struggling to move, his own hand frozen in the air, shaking.

Sam slid down the wall and took a step forward, holding his hand higher, pouring out even more power as Asmodeus tried to fight against him.

Dean and the others cleaned up the rest of the demons finally. Dean winced as he pressed a hand against his injured shoulder. Damn, another cut in his coat.

Wheatly and Winston staggered over, leaning on each other, and Cas joined them, all of them watching Sam.

"Y-you can't be this strong," Asmodeus gritted out. "I'm a Prince of Hell!"

Sam clenched his fist and Asmodeus cried out, doubling over with the sound of something cracking deep inside of him. Blood dribbled over his lips.

"You tried to take my throne, hurt my family and my people," Sam said darkly. "Did you really think I was going to let you take me out again?"

Asmodeus screamed in fury, summoning all his power and forcing his hands up to throw a blast at Sam.

Cas leapt forward and slammed Lucifer's lance through the Prince of Hell's middle.

Asmodeus gagged, staggering. Sparks flitted across his body, as he grabbed at the spear protruding from his middle.

"Y-you…insufferable little…" he snarled, knees collapsing under him.

Dean stepped up next and raised his sword. "Hasta la vista, you bastard," he growled. "Long live the king."

Dean swung the blade in a glittering arc and took Asmodeus's head right off of his shoulders and sent it rolling across the floor.

The Prince of Hell's body crumpled to the side, blood draining onto the floor.

Sam sagged with a hard exhale, letting his hands fall to his sides wearily. "It's over," he breathed.

Cas bent to rip the lance from Asmodeus's corpse and straightened with a wince. "Yes, it is."

Dean crouched to use the Prince of Hell's suit to wipe his blade before glancing up at his brother who was swaying.

"Hey, you good?" Dean asked, hurriedly reaching out to grab Sam's arm.

"Yeah, just…it takes a lot out of me," Sam said with a relieved smile. "But…we did it."

"Hell yeah we did," Dean said with a huff of relief himself.

Wheatly was already calling someone on the phone. "I'm getting a clean-up crew in here. We can head back now."

"That sounds great," Sam said as they walked out, stepping over bodies. Juliet glued herself to his leg again and he reached down to pat her head. "You know, it sounds weird, but I'm kind of homesick for Hell."

Dean laughed and patted him on the back. "Well, I think we'll all be glad to have you back, Sammy. The machine just doesn't run the same without you."

"Indeed," Wheatly said blandly. Cas snorted and Dean shot them both a glare.

"By the way, little brother, you realize you're not allowed to tease me about my coat again after that ridiculous entrance."

Sam groaned. "It was Wheatly's fault."

"To be fair, my lord, I never said you had to wear it once we got inside the building," the steward replied, hiding a small smile.

"It really did set the scene though, you have to admit," Winston said with a grin.

Dean rolled his eyes, but he had to agree. "It was pretty great to see Asmodeus's face when you whipped the hood off."

Sam chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I guess it was."

They felt a million times lighter as they returned to the car, and headed back to Hell. Dean really hoped this would mark the end of their troubles for a long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left now!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter is a little short, but I hope you guys have enjoyed this one! Thanks to everyone who had read and followed this series and kept interest even though it has taken me way too long to continue it :P

There was something satisfying about going home after finishing something. The relief that you could actually relax. That when Sam dragged his weary body back into Hell, he could find his bed and sleep off the rest of the day and the night.

Unfortunately, that didn't exactly happen, because there was the small problem of him being supposed dead by all his subjects.

"My lord," Wheatly said as they were getting out of the Impala. "Perhaps you should let us go first?"

Sam sighed, glancing at his brother and Cas but nodded. "Yes. Please assemble the court in the throne room," Sam told his steward.

Wheatly, battered from the fight but still somehow looking fresh, hurried ahead of them. Sam sighed and reached up to comb his fingers through his hair.

"Should I change?" he asked.

"I don't know," Dean shrugged. "I think this sells the 'I just came back from the dead and defeated my mortal enemy' look better."

Sam snorted, but nodded, following Dean and Cas inside, all of them limping. Man, was he tired. But he had a duty. That's what came with being King of Hell.

Besides, he got to bring good news for once. That was at least something.

The crowd was muttering among themselves when the Winchesters and Cas entered, but a loud gasp echoed around the room as Sam appeared, making his way toward the throne and standing in front of it on the dais, Dean and Cas at his side, Juliet at his feet, Wheatly and Winston standing a little further away.

He held up his hand to halt the murmuring, and the room quieted, but the shocked expressions didn't go away.

"I guess you can all see I'm back from the dead," Sam said simply. "I would first like to apologize for the deception, but we had to make sure word about my…resurrection…didn't get back to Asmodeus. As of now, though, myself and my small group went to meet Asmodeus and he is now gone for good. He will no longer be able to attempt another coup. You can all rest easy now that this threat is gone."

There was more murmuring among the demons, gasps of shock, but mostly looks of relief.

"We've taken a lot of hits lately, but I hope that, going forward, we can truly start to make this a better place," Sam told them. "I hope you're all with me."

The applause seemed to solidify that. Dean stepped forward, and raised his fist.

"Long live the king," he said, making Sam want to face-palm as the demons took up the cry.

There was the sound of a throat being cleared.

"My lord," Wheatly said, coming toward the dais, the crown balanced in his hands. "This belongs to you. It would be an honor to all of us if you would take it back."

Sam refrained from sighing and smiled as he shakily took a knee, Dean and Cas both reaching out to support him as Wheatly settled the crown onto his head.

The gathered demons cheered and Sam nodded to them. "I'm glad to be back," he said sincerely, as the cheering died down. "I hope that this can be a new start for all of us."

Then he stepped down and headed toward the back hallway that led to their rooms, Dean and Cas following.

"Well, that's over," Sam said, taking off the crown and setting it on the table. Juliet barked and butted his knees. Sam reached down and scratched her behind the ears. "I know, girl, you're hungry."

"So am I," Dean said, wincing as he peeled his coat off, glancing down at one of the cuts in his shoulder. "Let's get cleaned up and have a celebratory dinner."

Sam agreed and as soon as they were cleaned up and bandaged, they sat down to a meal Wheatly prepared, even including pie.

"So, what now?" Cas asked after a while.

"We still have some stuff we need to clean up now that Asmodeus is gone," Sam said. "We should probably find his base of operations and make sure there's nothing there that's going to be a problem."

"Good idea," Dean said, taking a second slice of pie. "Don't want anything coming back to bite us in the ass."

"Preferably not," Cas agreed.

"But we can do that in a couple days," Sam said, his exhaustion starting to get the better of him, especially accompanied with the good food.

Dean glanced over at him. "You good, Sammy?"

Sam nodded, stifling a yawn. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just need some sleep. Using that much power really takes a lot out of me."

Cas nodded. "I'm sure it does. You really exerted yourself."

"You should get some sleep," Dean said with a smile. "If anything happens we'll wake you up."

Sam smiled back gratefully and nodded, already pushing his chair back. "I think I'm going to take you up on that one."

He shuffled to his room and sighed in contentment as he flopped down onto his bed. A few seconds later, he heard the click of Juliet's nails on the floor and her weight hopped up and settled against him as she too curled up with a doggy yawn.

Sam smiled into his pillow, and as he drifted off, he was so grateful that he was able to rest easy again. Finally.

Maybe, just maybe, they could stay like this for a while.

Not that he really had a lot of hope of that—after all, their lives were so insane, they could never expect to have the ability to live a quiet life for long.

But, if he could sleep for at least a day, Sam would be happy.

And so what if more problems arose? Sam wasn't afraid. He'd beat death yet again. He knew that whatever happened, he could handle it along with his family.

And at the end of the day, wasn't that all that really mattered?

_To Be Continued in "Holy Hell"…_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do have another arc for this AU, but I'm not sure when I'll get around to it, since I'm working on a few other projects right now (maybe also another SPN AU XD) But I will continue this because I think you guys will like where it's going next ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr! @ladywallace
> 
> I also have a new Art/Crafting Instagram account if you want to see a lot of fanart and my handmade journal process. You can find me at @ladyofinkandpaper


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